On-campus voters registered at Bard; you will vote in district 5 at the St. John’s Episcopal church polling place in Barrytown. Shuttles to Barrytown start at 9:00 a.m. and run every half hour from a shuttle stop in front of the Chapel until 8:30 p.m. Verify your registration in District 5 at http://election.bard.edu/registered/ or check with a volunteer at the shuttle stop.

You can still vote. Find your new polling place and GO! You can vote by affidavit ballot (paper ballot not cast at the machine). Affidavit ballots are often rejected, so it is quite important for you to fill the ballot out correctly – including the envelope. Please look on pages 11 and 12 of this link: http://www.dutchesselections.com/Pollworkers/Inspector_Handbook_4-12-12.pdf before going to the poll. A member of the Center for Civic Engagement staff will be available at the Bard Campus Election Shuttle Stop (in front of the Chapel on Annandale Road) from 9:00 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. to help walk you through these very important steps.

What type of identification do I need to vote?

Bring valid photo identification, be it a Bard ID card, a driver’s license or a passport. It need not contain your current address.

Can a poll watcher ask me questions?

At the polls Elections Inspectors, hired by the Board of Election, represent both major political parties and are trained to oversee the voting process. They can be found sitting behind a desk asking voters to sign-in. Poll watchers, who tend to be partisan officials from each party mingle with voters. Elections Inspectors will ask you for your name, your signature and may ask for identification, if you have registered in the past two years. These poll watchers only have the right to observe proceedings. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE, WHO YOU WILL VOTE FOR, WHERE YOU ARE FROM, etc. They may issue a “challenge,” but this will not stop you from voting. An official from Bard College always acts as a “poll watcher” at the Barrytown polling station. Ask him or her for assistance or clarification of your rights.

What if I am “challenged?”

If you moved, or if you have a signature that differs from that on the roll, or if your ID seems odd, you may be “challenged.” Under these circumstances, you can still vote using the voting machine. You will only be required to take an oath confirming that the information you are providing is accurate.

We anticipate that students may get challenged at the polls. It is imperative that all voters contact the staff on Election Day at 845-464-6102 if challenged.